Tag: introduction

Hi there. My name is Jamie Bradburn, and you may remember me from such websites as…ok, maybe that’s not the best introduction to this site.

How about this: I’ve written a lot about Toronto’s history. If you scroll through my back catalogue of posts for Torontoist, you’ll find a list of my writing over the past decade which runs 53 pages. Some of that stockpile best remains buried deep in that list, while others are award-winning pieces I’m proud of.

You can read some of my thoughts about writing for Torontoist in my farewell Historicist column. The site resurrected my writing career, helping me shift from being an office drone to a full-time writer/historian. What began as sometimes silly looks at Toronto’s past via old advertisements turned into longer, more reflective pieces. Editors along the way prodded me into new directions, producing great stories that both explored Toronto’s past and provided context for current affairs.

I’m ready to start reviewing that body of work. One can argue I should have doing that all along, but there were always other distractions or things to work on. C’est la vie.

The current plan is republish my work chronologically, updating stories when it seems appropriate. I don’t know if doing this reduces the likelihood of much of this material ever being released in print form (hint hint to publishers!), but at least it keeps it in circulation.

I hope you rediscover old favourites, or enjoy reading pieces you missed the first time around. My writing style has evolved, so there’s a risk browsing the early pieces might prove cringe-inducing.

If you have ideas for a better title for this site, send them along. Otherwise, on with the stories!